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Casey at the Bat Assessment (Poetry) cloned 8/23/2022

Last updated over 3 years ago
20 questions
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day
The score stood four to two with but one inning more to play
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair.
The rest Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought if only Casey could but get a whack at that—
We’d put up even money now with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey’s getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey’s bearing and a smile on Casey’s face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt ’twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey’s eye, a sneer curled Casey’s lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped—
“That ain’t my style,” said Casey. “Strike one,” the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore
“Kill him! Kill the umpire!” shouted some one on the stand;
And it’s likely they’d have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey’s visage shone
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, “Strike two.”

“Fraud!” cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain
And they knew that Casey wouldn’t let that ball go by again

The sneer is gone from Casey’s lip, his teeth are clinched in hate
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.
1

Which of the following best states a theme in the text?

1

What does the term “patrons” most likely mean in line 4?

1

Which phrase from the poem best supports the answer to Question 2?

1

How does the figurative language in stanza 5 contribute to the mood of the poem?

1

How do stanzas 12-13 contribute to the theme of the poem?

1

The people watching the baseball game felt that Casey could help the Mudville team win the game.

Which lines from the poem best support this conclusion?

1

Read lines 21–28 of the poem. How does Casey probably feel when he first steps up to bat?

1

What is the main idea of this poem?

1

In the first half of the poem, the poet uses many similar phrases like “Casey at the bat” (line 8, line 24), “Casey getting to the bat” (line 12), and “Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat” (line 20).

Why might the poet have used such similar phrases over and over?

1

What is the climax of this poem?

1

The mood of the spectators at the beginning of the game could best be described as…

1

What surprising event happens in stanzas 3-4?

1

Which of the following words best describe Casey’s attitude at the plate?

1

How does the crowd feel after the first part of Casey’s at bat?

10

Select the examples of the author's use of imagery. Choose all that apply.

10

Select the examples of hyperbole. Choose all that apply.

10

How does the mood of the poem shift from the beginning to the end?

10

What type of rhyme is present in this poem?

10

Which quote is an example of personification in the poem?

10

What is the significance of the author's repetition of the word somewhere in the last stanza?